Refrigerating apparatus



June 22, 1937. L.. w. ATcHlsoN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23, 1955 Inventor: Leonovd W Atchison,

is Attorneg.

Patented June 22, 1937 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Leonard W. Atchison, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 23,1935, serial No. 7,682

6 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus for cooling foods and the like, and more particularly to such refrigerating apparatus for the open display of foods.

It is frequently desirable to construct refrigerating apparatus such as refrigerator cabinets, food display trays and the like, by providing a Wall and a liner surrounding the space to be cooled, and a refrigerating element in contact with the liner within the insulated wall of the cabinet. This construction, however, leads to one disadvantage in that moisture is condensed and frozen on the refrigerating element within the wall, and when this element is defrosted the moisture runs into the insulation which damages the same. When the cooling element is again chilled more moisture will condense thereon since, unless the thermal insulation is hermetically sealed there will be breathing of air into the walls of the cabinet and, consequently, repeated defrosting operations will result in a considerable accumulation of moisture in the insulation, which reduces the thermal efficiency of the insulation and also produces rapid deterioration.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a refrigerating apparatus having a cooling element or evaporator arranged between the inner liner and the outer wall thereof, and which is so constructed that the deterioration of the thermal insulation due to condensation of moisture on the cooling element is prevented.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and easily constructed arrangement for preventing the condensation of moisture within the thermal insulation of refrigerator cabinets.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in section of a refrigerated trayembodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the tray shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a refrigerated tray for salads or other food articles on display in cafeteras, stores, and the like, which comprises an outer metal wall I0 and an inner metal liner I I Vforming the bottom and side walls of the space to be cooled. The wall I0 and the liner I I 'are spaced apart and secured together by a strip I2 of moisture impervious thermally Il extending outside the outer wall I0 for connection with a refrigerating machine arranged to supply refrigerant to the conduit and withdraw vaporized refrigerant therefrom. The tray is provided with a body of thermal insulation I8 pervious to moisture and arranged between the outer wall I0 and a partition I9, which provides an air chamber |911. between the same and the inner liner II and surrounding the cooling element I5. The partition I9 is secured to the inner liner by the screws Ill and is separated from the inner liner by a strip 20 of heat insulating material which minimizes the flow of heat between the partition and the inner liner. The partition I9 thus presents an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan extending entirely over the portion of the thermal insulation I8 located below the cooling element I5. It will be readily understood that during the operation of the cooling element I5 any moisture contained in the air within the chamber surrounding the element will be condensed on the conduit and frozen. In order to afford breathing of air between the thermal insulation I8 and the air chamber I9a, I provide a plurality of openings 2I and 22 in the side wall of the partition I9.

During operation of the refrigerated tray shown the evaporator conduit I5 cools the bottom of the tray and articles placed thereon. When refrigerant is first introduced into the evaporator conduit I5 the air in the chamber I9a is cooled and the moisture therein condenses and freezes on the conduit I5 and, since the air within the thermal insulation I8 is also in communication with the chamber I9a, moisture in the thermal insulation will also be drawn out and frozen on the conduit. When the conduit is defrosted moisture will drop to the bottom of the drip-pan partition I9 and will drain out through a connection 23 provided for the purpose. It is, therefore, evident that the condensed moisture removed from the conduit I5 upon defrosting does not accumulate in the thermal insulation. The thermal insulation therefore, not affected by this moisture and is not deteriorated.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a. simple and easily constructed arrangement for preventing the collection of moisture and deterioration of vthe thermal insulation of a cooling apparatus.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a cooling tray, other applications will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. I do not, therefore desire my invention to `be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover al1 modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A refrigerating apparatus including a metal outer wall and a metal inner liner providing a space to'be cooled, means including a strip of thermally resistant material for lconnecting said outer wall and said inner liner, means including a metal partition arranged between said outer wall and said inner liner for providing an air chamber adjacent said inner liner, means including a strip of thermally resistant material for minimizing the transfer of heat between said partition and said inner liner, thermal insulation pervious to moisture arranged between said partition and said outer wall, means including a refrigerant evaporator in said chamber in heat exchange relationship to said inner liner for cooling said space to be cooled, means including openings in said partition for conveying moisture-laden air from the interior of said thermal insulation to said chamber wherein the moisture is condensed by said evaporator, said partition presenting an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan extending entirely over the portion of said thermal insulation located below said evaporator for accumulating condensed moisture dripping from said evaporator, and means for removing condensed moisture from said drip-pan.

2. A refrigerating apparatus including an outer i wall and a metal inner liner, said inner liner forming a wall of a spacel to be cooled, means including a partition arranged between said outer wall and said inner liner for providing an air chamber adjacent said inner liner, means including a strip of thermally resistant material for minimizing the transfer of heat between said partition and said inner liner, thermal insulation per-v vious to moisture arranged between said partition and said outer wall, means including a refrigerant evaporator in heat exchange relationship with said inner liner for cooling said space to be cooled, means including openings in said partition for conveying moisture-laden air from the interior of said thermal insulation to said chamber wherein the moisture is condensed by said evaporator, said partition presenting an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan extending entirely over the portion of said thermal insulation located below said evaporator for accumulating condensed moisture dripping from said evaporator, and means for removing condensed moisture from said drip-pan.

3. A refrigerating apparatus including an outer wall and a metal inner liner, said inner liner forming the Wall of a space to be cooled, thermal insulation pervious to moisture arranged within the space between said inner liner and said outer wall and having at least a portion thereof spaced from said inner liner to provide a chamber open to the outer surface f said inner liner, means for cooling said inner liner and for withdrawing from said insulation and accumulating on the surface of said inner liner exposed to said chamber moisture contained in said insulation, and means in said chamber for receiving all of the moisture dripping from the surface of said inner liner and for preventing said dripping moisture from coming into contact with said insulation, said last named means being arranged in said chamber to allow moisture contained in said insulation to be conveyed in contact with the surface of said inner liner exposed to said chamber. 4. A refrigerating apparatus including an outer wall and a metal inner liner, said inner liner forming a wall of a space to be cooled, means including a partition arranged between said outer wall and said inner liner for providing an air chamber adjacent said inner liner, thermal insulation pervious to moisture arranged between said partition and said outer wall, means for cooling said inner liner, said partition being arranged z to allow moisture-laden air to be conveyed from the interior of said thermal insulation to said chamber wherein the moisture is condensed by said cooling means, said partition presenting an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan extending entirely over the portion of said thermal insulation located below said cooling means for receiving condensed moisture dripping from said cooling means, and means for removing condensed moisture from said 4drip-pan.

5. A refrigerating apparatus including an outer wall and a metal inner liner, said inner liner forming a wall of a space to be cooled, means including a partition arranged between said outer wall and said inner liner for providing an air chamber adjacent said inner liner, thermal insulation pervious to moisture arranged between said partition and said'outer wall, means arranged in heat exchange relation with said innerliner for cooling the same, adjacent edges of said inner liner and said partition being secured together, and means including openings in said partition for conveying moisture-laden air from the interior of said thennal insulation to said chamber wherein the moisture is condensed by said cooling means, said partition presenting an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan located below said cooling means for accumulating moisture dripping from said inner line, and means for removing condensed moisture from said drip-pan.

6. A refrigerated food display tray including an outer wall and an inner metal liner spaced from said wall, means including a partition arranged between said inner liner and said outer wall for providing an air chamber adjacent said inner liner, thermal insulation pervious to moisture arranged between said partition and said outer Wall, means for cooling said inner liner and articles placed therein, means including openings in said partition for conveying moisture-laden air from the interior of said thermal insulation to said chamber wherein the moisture is condensed by said cooling means, said partition presenting an unobstructed surface constituting a drip-pan extending entirely over the portion of said thermal insulation located belowsaid cooling means for accumulating condensed moisture dripping from said cooling means, and means for removing condensed moisture from said drip-pan.

LEONARD W. ATCHISON. 

